The Battle of Agincourt: Sources and Interpretations

by Anne Curry

Accessible collections of primary sources covering the Hundred Years War are still remarkably few and far between, and teachers of the subject will find Curry's volume a valuable addition to their bibliographies and teaching aids. FRENCH HISTORY "Agincourt! Agincourt! Know ye not Agincourt?" So began a ballad of around 1600. Since the event itself (25 October 1415), the great military engagement has occupied a special place in both English and French consciousness, respectively as either one of the greatest military successes ever, or as the "accursed day." Much ink has been spilt on the battle but do we really know Agincourt? Not since Harris Nicolas's History of the Battle of Agincourt (1827-33) has there been a full attempt to survey the sources until now: this book brings together, in translation and with commentary, English and French narrative accounts and literary works of the fifteenth century. It also traces the treatment of the battle in sixteenth-century English histories and in the literary representations of, amongst others, Shakespeare and Drayton. After examining how later historians interpreted the battle, it concludes with the first full assessment of the extremely rich administrative records which survive for the armies which fought "upon Saint Crispin's day."

Anne Curry is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Southampton. CONTENTS Twenty-six chronicle sources, English and French Accounts from six sixteenth-century English historians Twenty-one records of contemporary reception of the battle, and the development of the literary tradition, in England and France Summaries of interpretations from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries Excerpts from eighteen administrative records relating to the English and French armies

Genres: Military History, British Literature

490 pages, Hardcover

Published October 5, 2000

About the author

Anne Curry is Professor of Medieval History and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Southampton, after teaching for many years at the University of Reading. She has published many books and articles on the Hundred Years War, as well as definitive works on Agincourt itself and an on-line database of all known soldiers between 1369 and 1453 (www.medievalsoldier.org ). An historical advisor to the battlefield centres at Azincourt, Shrewsbury, and Bosworth, she is co-chair of the "Agincourt 600" committee, tasked with organizing the commemorations of the sixth hundredth anniversary of the battle. President of the Historical Association between 2008 and 2011, she is also a former Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with some really interesting bits not included in other books on the battle. The detail on Thomas Erpingham drags on a little bit.

[Ava Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good primary source collection with multiple perspectives presented. Helpful for research.

[Joshua Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty unique book in Medieval History. It contains an English translation of every significant source on the Battle of Agincourt, and a lot more stuff on how it played out in culture. Also included is good information on the history of the sources and how to evaluate them. It gives you something that you can't find in more modern history. Anyone can read this book, evaluate the sources for themselves, and develop their own theory of how the battle played out.